Sonic Youth's New York Tour

Arthur Russell's New York Tour

Custom Tours

An comprehensive tour through Sonic Youth's long and celebrated career - see where the band lived, rehearsed, recorded, and performed, and learn more about the No Wave and Indie Rock communities downtown in the 80's, 90's, and 00's

A comprehensive tour through Arthur Russell's life and multi-faceted career - see where he lived, rehearsed, recorded, and performed, and learn more about the downtown art and music communities during the 70's and 80's, as well as the city's LGBTQ+ history.

Want to see something specific these other tours don't cover? Dive deeper into a specific artist, genre, or neighborhood? Let me put together a customized tour for you!

"[Walk on the Wild Side] reminds visitors that these movements were the product of people making the most of their unique time and place. Hearing him speak… familiar streets begin to feel a little more alive — full of connections to be forged, of fire escapes and community gardens brimming with secrets.” - New York Times

"From Sonic Youth to Public Enemy, tour guide Jesse Rifkin’s knowledge of the city’s role in some of the biggest musical movements in the world is impressive." - amNewYork

"Offering several genre-specific tours, artist-specific outings and other custom packages, the tours wind their way through the streets of the city, revealing tales of the people, places and events that shaped modern music." - BTR Today

"Solidify your music-lover status by signing up for a walking tour of NYC that takes you to significant spots where classic album cover photos were taken, bands formed, demos were recorded and more." - Alternative Press

"Sonic Youth isn’t touring and won’t be anytime soon, but now you can at least go on a Sonic Youth tour of downtown Manhattan." - Bedford + Bowery

"If you want to go fully immersive, learn about the world in the late ’90s and early aughts that created bands like Interpol, with the new Walk on the Wild Side Indie Rock tour. Because that’s all history now." - Grub Street